WILD LIFE SANCTUARIES AND NATIONAL PARKS

• The first national park in the world – Yellowstone National Park(USA)
• World’s largest national park – Northeast Greenland National Park

INDIA

• The percentage of forest in India – 23.81%
• The percentage of ideal forest cover of a country – 33%
• Total forest density of India in the world – 10
• In order to conserve wildlife, the Govt. of India passed the wildlife protection act in 1972.
• The wildlife reserves in India are of two types

I . Wildlife sanctuaries                            II. National Parks.

• By 2012, there were 112 national parks in India.
• State having largest forest area – Madhya Pradesh.
• Madhya Pradesh has the largest number of national parks.
• State having smallest  forest area – Haryana.
• Punjab has no national parks.
• The first National Park – Jim Corbet National Park(1936),Uttarakhand.It was previously known by the name Hailey National park. It is a famous tiger reserve.
• First biosphere reserve – Nilgiri (1986)
• Biggest biosphere reserve – Gyan Bharathi(Gujarat)
• Smallest biosphere reserve – Dibre- Saikhowa(Assam)
• First Biological park – Agasthyar hills.
• Biggest Wildlife sanctuary – Great India Bustard(Maharashtra).
• Project tiger was passed in the year – 1973.

• National Tiger Reservation authority was formed in the year 2006 Sept. 4. And the Chairman of the authority is Central Minister of Forest and Environment.
• There are 48 tiger reserves in India.
• Bor Sanctuary is the 47th Tiger Reserve.
• Rajaji is the 48th Tiger Reserve.
• Biggest tiger reserve – Nagarjuna Sagar(Andhra Pradesh).
• Smallest tiger reserve – Pench(Madhya Pradesh).
• The first planned Ecotourism destination in India – Thenmala.

Important Wildlife Acts

• The Animal Welfare Board of India - 1962
• Wildlife Protection Act – 1972
• Project Tiger – 1973
• Water Pollution Control Act – 1974
• Brown Antiller Deer Project(Manipur) - 1977
• Forest Protection Act – 1980
• Air Pollution Control Act – 1981
• Ministry of Central Forest and Environment – 1985
• Environment Protection Act – 1986
• Project Elephant – 1992
• Red Panda Project (Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park) – 1996

National Parks and Institutes

• Wild life Institute of  India – Dehradun.
• Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History – Coimbatore.
• Forest Survey of India – Dehradun.
• Forest Research Institute – Dheradun.
• Anshi National Park – karnataka is located near the Kaiga Nuclear Power Station.
• Indira Gandhi Memorial Tulip Garden(Jammu & Kashmir).
• Ranganthittu Bird Sanctuary(Karnataka) is known as “Kasi of Birds”.
• Bannerghatta(Karnataka) is the first butterfly park inIndia.
• The Mahatma Gandhi Marine National Park is the Wandoor region of South Andaman.
• Rani Jhansi Marine National Park(Andaman & Nicobar Islands)is called as the eco tourism hub of India.
• Panna National Park is located on the banks Ken river.
• The Kaziranga National Park is the natural home of the famous one horned Indian rhinoceros.
• Gulf of Kutch Marine Park is India’s first marine wildlife sanctuary.
• The Pin Valley national park is the coldest desert region of Spiti in Himachal Pradesh.
• The Hemis National Park  is the only national park in India that lies north of the Himalayas.
• The Tadoba National Park in Maharashtra is known as the ’Jewel of Vidarbha’.
• The Kasu Brahmananda Reddy National Park is located in the heart  of Hyderabad City.
• Rajiv Gandhi National Park/ Nagarhole National Park – Kodagu(Karnataka).
• Rajiv Gandhi Zoological Park – Pune.
• Indira Gandhi National Park – Tirupur, Coimbatore, TamilNadu.
• Indira Gandhi Zoological Park – Vishakapatanam.
• Pobitora Wildlife sanctuary in Assam has the highest Rhino population.
• The project launched by WWF-India to protect and increase the population of the One-horned rhinoceros in Assam-Indian Rhino Vision-2020(IRV-2020).
• The Bhitarkanika NationalPark(Odisha) is the world’s largest nesting ground of the endangered Olive Ridley Sea turtle.
• State having maximum population of  Olive Ridley Sea turtles in India – Odisha

• The Indira Gandhi Wild life sanctuary and National Park is the largest National Park in Tamil Nadu.
• The Gunidy National Park is situated right in the heart of Chennai city.
• The Mudumalai Wild life sanctuary and National Park lies in the meeting place of 3 states – Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala. Bandipur W.L.S.(Karnataka) and Wayanad W.L.S.(Kerala) are part of Mudumalai National Park.
• The Valley of Flowers national park is in Uttarakhand.
• Nandankanan Tiger Reserve(Odisha)is famous for white tigers.
• Father of Vana Maholsav – K. M. Munshi.
• Head quarters of the Wild life Crime Control Bureau – New Delhi.